Press Release

John Japhet Sentenced to 50 Years for Bethel Murder

October 31, 2025

(Bethel, AK) – On Wednesday, Bethel Superior Court Judge Nathaniel Peters sentenced 43-year-old John Japhet to 50 years with 15 years suspended for the 2022 stabbing death of Paul John in Bethel. Japhet will be on probation for 15 years upon his release from incarceration.

On June 6, 2022, after a night of drinking, Japhet entered the home of an ex-girlfriend and found she and Paul, 32, asleep in her bed. Japhet fatally stabbed Paul in the chest as he was sleeping. On May 30, 2025, Japhet pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree.

Judge Peters considered the impact that alcohol had on the defendant’s actions but found that his alcohol use did not lessen the seriousness of his conduct. Peters further emphasized the calculated nature of the murder by pointing out several times that Japhet stabbed Paul one time and then told his ex-girlfriend to lie about having seen Japhet standing over Paul as Paul was dying. Peters also acknowledged Japhet’s criminal history, which included previous domestic violence assaults fueled by alcohol.

Assistant Attorney General Sam Vandergaw of the Office of Special Prosecutions prosecuted this case with the assistance of Paralegal Bethany Kaiser of the Bethel District Attorney’s office. The case involved a joint investigation between the Bethel Police Department and Alaska State Troopers.

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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.

Due to resource constraints, we no longer post links to referenced records. Records filed in a federal court are readily available at Docket Search or PACER, and records filed in a State of Alaska court are readily available from the Alaska Court System (Trial Courts - Alaska Court System and Search for an Appellate Case). Contact Sam Curtis to request a referenced record that is not readily available from a court or on the internet, or contact law.recordsrequest@alaska.gov to submit a formal Alaska Public Records Act request.